I'll Be Here
by Runs with Werewolfs
Summary: The boys get a call late one night about something that will forever change Camille's life. Kendall is the only one who can understand. Slight onesided Kenmille. Mostly friendship. Might do a second part if people want it.


**Be Here**

* * *

"Kendall, wake up" Carlos Garcia shook his best friend and roommate awake, late at night. Kendall moaned and turned over in his bed, burying his face in the pillow and after making himself comfortable in his new position, fell back asleep. Carlos nervously ran his fingers through his hair, listening to James and Logan in the hall, trying to listen to what they were saying.

"She's a mess" Logan was telling James. Carlos could picture Logan, who would be stressed out, biting his lip, pulling at his shirt sleeves, his hand on the back of his neck.

He heard James sigh. "I would be too" he said softly. "Poor thing. Jo says she keeps asking for Kendall" James probably had his head in his hands, rubbing his temples.

Carlos sighed. "Kendall, come on, you've got to wake up." he pleaded. "Wake up!" he shook Kendall some more, wincing as he accidently bounced Kendall into the wall, gaining a moan from Kendall as Kendall's head made contact with the wall.

Kendall turned over and glared at his roommate. "Carlos, go make yourself food if you're so hungry" he said dangerously. "If you wake me up again, I'll knock you out" he threatened.

Carlos sighed. "Kendall, I don't want you to cook for me. It's- something happened" he said softly. "We need to get to the hospital."

"Why, who's hurt?" Kendall asked, shooting out of bed and falling over. He righted himself and stared at Carlos with wide eyes. "Who's hurt?" he repeated, slightly terrified. His mom and Katie were taking a night trip to San Diego- did one of them get hurt. Was James hurt? Logan? Gustavo? Kelly?

Carlos shook his head. "Kendall- it's Camille." He said softly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, like he didn't want to tell Kendall but had been voted the one who had to. He bit his lip and glanced out the window. "Something happened" he said softly, avoiding eye contact with Kendall.

Kendall felt his heart drop. After he and Jo had broken up a few months ago, he and Camille had become really close, closer than before. He hated to admit it because he thought Logan might still have feeling for the brunette actress, and Camille and Jo were best friends, but he thought he was falling for the crazy- but beautiful and amazing- girl. Everything about her. If she was hurt, he didn't know how he would deal with it. "What about her?" he asked slowly, trying to calm his heart rate down before he had a full on panic attack. "What happened?"

"She – she and her dad were on their way home from an audition" Carlos began "and they stopped to get something for dinner. As they walked up to the restaurant, a man came out- he- grabbed Camille and was threatening to rape her, so her dad attacked him. The man- he had a gun. He shot Camille's dad-but Camille got away because she ran into the restaurant and there was a cop there. The guy got arrested- but uh-Camille's dad- didn't-he died, Kendall. Jo is there with her, but Camille has been asking for you." Carlos said softly. "Jo's dad is going to drive is to the hospital to be with them. She needs you, Kendall" Carlos explained.

Kendall stood up. "Then what are we waiting for?" he demanded, rushing out the door.

Carlos sighed. "Kendall, at least put a shirt or jacket on!" he called after his blonde friend. When Kendall didn't return, he went over to the closet and grabbed a hoodie out of the closet, intent on forcing it onto Kendall if need be. He also grabbed Kendall's cell phone and Ipod in case there was a wait. Kendall bored could be almost as bad as Carlos himself being bored. And the last thing they needed was to be peeling someone off the ceiling because of Kendall.

* * *

Camille was sitting alone in the waiting room when Kendall got there. Jo had stepped out to tell James and Logan something, leaving Camille sitting in the empty waiting room, staring at the blank wall sadly. "Cam?" Kendall said softly, sitting down next to her. This waiting room, being a waiting room for grieving families, had couches instead of hard chairs. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. The moment he had her in his arms, she broke down, sobbing into his chest. "I know, it's hard, It sucks." He said. When his dad had died, he had hated hearing "I know how you feel" because no one did. He understood how it felt to loose a parent- but his dad had died of cancer, and he hadn't had to watch him be brutally murdered. He couldn't imagine what that must be like. What it must be like for her to be totally alone in this world, with only a distant Aunt and Uncle who would remove her from Hollywood if they got the chance. But Camille was 17 and a half, old enough to choose where she lived now.

Camille shook in his arms. "Kendall, it's all my fault. If I hadn't been there, he' d still be alive" she sobbed. She looked up at him and his heart broke for her. Her hair was a mess and her entire face was red. Her eyes were blood shot and swollen. She was an emotional mess.

"Camille, you didn't know, it's not your fault" Kendall told her softly. "It's hard, I know that much, but I can't possibly imagine how it feels. He loved you, Camie. Just try to remember the good times, and the happy times."

Camille nodded, but still clung to Kendall, crying. "I just miss him so much already. He'll never walk me down the aisle, or meet whoever I marry"

Kendall pulled her into his lap, cradling her in his arms, hand on the back of her head. "I know. Let's not worry about that right now, it's too soon" he urged. "You can think about that later, when the shock has set in." he said softly, stroking her hair.

Camille said "I don't feel as safe anymore, without him here"

Kendall tightened his grip around her. "I'll protect you. I'll make sure you're safe" he promised. "Logan and James and Carlos will too. You're not alone. "

"Where am I going to live?" she asked softly. "I can't leave, but my aunt and uncle-"

"You can stay with us, in Katie's room" he told her. "We have enough space for one more. Unless you and Logan-"

"We're only friends" Camille said softly, her voice cracking. "I like someone else."

"Okay, I don't want you to be more stressed is all. Have you-you know- seen him?" Kendall asked numbly.

"Yes. I was just waiting for my aunt and uncle to get done"

"Well, you're living with us, even if I have to blackmail Griffin into buying your aunt and uncle into letting you." he said softly. "Are your aunt and uncle here?"

"Yes. They're talking to the-"

Kendall nodded, he knew she couldn't say the word, that they were talking to the coroner. "Okay. They won't be doing anything soon, so why don't you and I go sit on the big couch and I'll watch tv and you can sleep, you need to sleep, or you'll get sick" he told her.

She nodded, and shook her head "Okay" she said softly. Kendall stood up, with her still in his arms, and carried her over to the couch, just as James and Logan came in. "Hey, Logan, can you go find a nurse and see about a blanket?" Kendall asked softly, settling down on the couch with her. "I'm going to try and get her to sleep some, it's almost midnight"

Logan nodded. "Sure" he said, and turned on his heels and ran off.

James sat down next to Kendall, patting Camille's back. "Camille, I wish I could tell you it's going to be alright, but I know it's not going to be the same." He said softly. "Do you need anything?"

Camille shook her head. "Unless you can bring my dad back"

James sighed. "I'm sorry." He said softly. "Kendall, do you want anything, I'm going to go call your mom and tell her where we are. Jo and Carlos went down to the cafeteria, Jo was about to pass out so Carlos got her coffee."

"Can you get me a coffee? Large, you know how I like it, sugar and cream"

James nodded. "Camille, do you want me to get you a bottle of water? I'm going to get you a bottle of water" he decided, not waiting for her reply, deciding, apparently, that she looked thirsty.

Logan came back a few minutes after James left, with a blanket. He gave it to Kendall and then sighed. "I'm going to go make sure all of them aren't destroying everything. Camille, I'm so sorry." He said sadly. Kendall knew that Logan had always loved Camille's dad. "He'll be missed." He mumbled, and then he was gone. The whole thing was awkward and no one knew quite what to say. Kendall didn't know if Camille wanted to hear what he had wanted to hear, they were so different, but he knew she would want to feel loved.

Camille eventually lay down, and put her head on Kendall's lap. Kendall tucked the blanket around her gently, and kissed her forehead, like he did when Katie was little and she had a bad dream. Absently, he stroked her hair, not really paying attention, until he heard her breathing slow and she drifted off to a deep sleep. He could only hope it was dreamless, but Logan said when one had a lot of trauma it often was. "Kendall, will you be here, when I wake up?" she asked sleepily, moments before she faded out.

Kendall nodded. "I'll be here forever"

He knew from experience it would be a rough road, and Camille was going to struggle with this, but he knew that he would be able to help her through it, just from what he had gone through. He knew that he staying with them would help so much, because his mom knew the grieving process and how to help, Katie would understand and the guys would be able to help her take her mind off of it, sweet Carlos would always be a listening ear, reading with a hug and a cookie, Logan, who argueably knew Camille best, would know how to help her emotionally and James would distract her. And Kendall would be able to do all those things and more. He would help her and she would get through this. He had her, no matter what. She could count on him to always be there. He just wished that she didn't have to go through this because, well, she didn't deserve it. But trials would come, literally and figuratively and at the end of the day, Kendall was the one Camille would need. He knew what she was going through and he would be able to support her through it.

Maybe, just maybe, this moment was the reason that 2 years ago, Camille had chosen him- of everyone at the Palmwoods- to slap for no reason- because one day, she'd need him.

* * *

A/N: eh, I think this is okay. Please, please please review!


End file.
